Project acronym Extinction Genomics
Project Exploring and exploiting the potential of extinct genome sequencing
Researcher (PI) Marcus Thomas Pius Gilbert
Host Institution (HI) KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
Country Denmark
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), LS2, ERC-2015-CoG
Summary Palaeogenomics is the nascent discipline concerned with sequencing and analysis of genome-scale information from historic, ancient, and even extinct samples. While once inconceivable due to the challenges of DNA damage, contamination, and the technical limitations of PCR-based Sanger sequencing, following the dawn of the second-generation sequencing revolution, it has rapidly become a reality. Indeed, so much so, that popular perception has moved away from if extinct species’ genomes can be sequenced, to when it will happen - and even, when will the first extinct animals be regenerated. Unfortunately this view is naïve, and does not account for the financial and technical challenges that face such attempts. I propose an exploration of exactly what the limits on genome reconstruction from extinct or otherwise historic/ancient material are. This will be achieved through new laboratory and bioinformatic developments aimed at decreasing the cost, while concomitantly increasing the quality of genome reconstruction from poor quality materials. In doing so I aim to build a scientifically-grounded framework against which the possibilities and limitations of extinct genome reconstruction can be assessed. Subsequently genomic information will be generated from a range of extinct and near-extinct avian and mammalian species, in order to showcase the potential of reconstructed genomes across research questions spanning at least three different streams of research: De-extinction, Evolutionary Genomics, and Conservation Genomics. Ultimately, achievement of these goals requires formation of a dedicated, closely knit team, focusing on both the methodological challenges as well as their bigger picture application to high-risk high-gain ventures. With ERC funding this can become a reality, and enable palaeogenomics to be pushed to the limits possible under modern technology.
Summary
Palaeogenomics is the nascent discipline concerned with sequencing and analysis of genome-scale information from historic, ancient, and even extinct samples. While once inconceivable due to the challenges of DNA damage, contamination, and the technical limitations of PCR-based Sanger sequencing, following the dawn of the second-generation sequencing revolution, it has rapidly become a reality. Indeed, so much so, that popular perception has moved away from if extinct species’ genomes can be sequenced, to when it will happen - and even, when will the first extinct animals be regenerated. Unfortunately this view is naïve, and does not account for the financial and technical challenges that face such attempts. I propose an exploration of exactly what the limits on genome reconstruction from extinct or otherwise historic/ancient material are. This will be achieved through new laboratory and bioinformatic developments aimed at decreasing the cost, while concomitantly increasing the quality of genome reconstruction from poor quality materials. In doing so I aim to build a scientifically-grounded framework against which the possibilities and limitations of extinct genome reconstruction can be assessed. Subsequently genomic information will be generated from a range of extinct and near-extinct avian and mammalian species, in order to showcase the potential of reconstructed genomes across research questions spanning at least three different streams of research: De-extinction, Evolutionary Genomics, and Conservation Genomics. Ultimately, achievement of these goals requires formation of a dedicated, closely knit team, focusing on both the methodological challenges as well as their bigger picture application to high-risk high-gain ventures. With ERC funding this can become a reality, and enable palaeogenomics to be pushed to the limits possible under modern technology.
Max ERC Funding
2 000 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-04-01, End date: 2021-03-31
Project acronym MSMA
Project Moduli Spaces, Manifolds and Arithmetic
Researcher (PI) Soeren Galatius
Host Institution (HI) KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
Country Denmark
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE1, ERC-2015-CoG
Summary This proposal concerns the application of homotopy theoretic methods to multiple questions of geometric nature, and in particular the study of moduli spaces. Firmly based in topology, the research proposed here is strongly motivated by applications and potential applications to differential geometry, algebraic geometry and especially number theory.
Any “moduli space” parametrizes how certain objects may vary in families. The moduli spaces of manifolds parametrize how smooth manifolds may vary in families (smooth fiber bundles), and the representation varieties studied in the second major component parametrize how linear representations of a group may vary in algebraic families.
The homotopy theoretic study of moduli spaces of manifolds has seen spectacular successes in the last 15 years, kickstarted by a theorem of Madsen and Weiss concerning the topology of moduli spaces of 2-dimensional manifolds. Very recently, anongoing collaboration between O. Randal-Williams and myself promises to establish analoguous results for manifolds of higher dimension. If funded, the research proposed here will bring this research program to a point where all major results about surface moduli spaces have proven analogues for manifolds of higher dimension.
The second major component of this proposal has strong number-theoretic origins, but is essentially homotopy theoretic. It concerns the study of universal deformations of representations of (Galois) groups. If funded, the research in this component of the proposal, joint with Akshay Venkatesh, will develop derived (simplicial) deformation rings. Classical deformation rings have had spectacular applications in number theory (starting with Wiles’ work) and we also propose to begin the study of applications ofderived deformation rings.
Finally, the proposal contains smaller or more speculative projects, and points out many questions which might be suitable for the Ph.D.-students and postdocs also applied for in this proposal.
Summary
This proposal concerns the application of homotopy theoretic methods to multiple questions of geometric nature, and in particular the study of moduli spaces. Firmly based in topology, the research proposed here is strongly motivated by applications and potential applications to differential geometry, algebraic geometry and especially number theory.
Any “moduli space” parametrizes how certain objects may vary in families. The moduli spaces of manifolds parametrize how smooth manifolds may vary in families (smooth fiber bundles), and the representation varieties studied in the second major component parametrize how linear representations of a group may vary in algebraic families.
The homotopy theoretic study of moduli spaces of manifolds has seen spectacular successes in the last 15 years, kickstarted by a theorem of Madsen and Weiss concerning the topology of moduli spaces of 2-dimensional manifolds. Very recently, anongoing collaboration between O. Randal-Williams and myself promises to establish analoguous results for manifolds of higher dimension. If funded, the research proposed here will bring this research program to a point where all major results about surface moduli spaces have proven analogues for manifolds of higher dimension.
The second major component of this proposal has strong number-theoretic origins, but is essentially homotopy theoretic. It concerns the study of universal deformations of representations of (Galois) groups. If funded, the research in this component of the proposal, joint with Akshay Venkatesh, will develop derived (simplicial) deformation rings. Classical deformation rings have had spectacular applications in number theory (starting with Wiles’ work) and we also propose to begin the study of applications ofderived deformation rings.
Finally, the proposal contains smaller or more speculative projects, and points out many questions which might be suitable for the Ph.D.-students and postdocs also applied for in this proposal.
Max ERC Funding
1 991 061 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-06-01, End date: 2021-11-30
